


Strength

by Get Dunked On (LittleKnownArtist), LittleKnownArtist



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Aborted Genocide, Aborted Undertale Genocide Run, Angst, Crying, Executive Dysfunction, F/M, Fluff, Neutral Ending, No Mercy, Post - Undertale Neutral Route - Queen Alphys Ending, Queen Alphys, Sharing a Bed, Tears, aborted no mercy, flangst, lots of hugging, queen alphys ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 12:43:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20064220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleKnownArtist/pseuds/Get%20Dunked%20On, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleKnownArtist/pseuds/LittleKnownArtist
Summary: “Sans, have you seen the queen?” Knight Knight asked.Alphys had hidden herself again, balled up into a sobbing heap, and Sans coaxes her out. Being a queen isn't easy. Especially not for someone like her. Sans understood.





	Strength

**Author's Note:**

> Some friends made me cry on the Soriel Discord. This is my revenge. Feel the angst you wonderful, terrible people. The pic was drawn on a whiteboard lol.

“Sans, have you seen the queen?” Knight Knight asked, looking down over his work table. Sans could almost see the concern in her eyes, even behind her armor. Everyone knew the queen was of poor health, both physically and mentally, though they weren’t aware of the extent of it.

“I can’t get into the small places she can when she’s not feeling well.”

“right,” Sans sighed, standing from the desk. He shuffled some paperwork, shoving it in the ‘to-do’ bin. He stood, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“why don’t you take off early? sure your kid would appreciate more mom-time.” Knight Knight tilted her head. Sans _was_ basically second in command as things stood now, and Al didn’t really care. Knight Knight was one of the many monsters who had lost loved ones in the chaos of the human’s attack—namely her husband and oldest daughter. Her family had been halved. She was allowed off the hook early more often than not. She appreciated it. All the remaining monsters appreciated their family more than they ever had. No one wanted more souls lost to despair, no more family falling down, no more family jumping into the abyss.

Sans used a shortcut as she nodded, turning to leave. There were only a few places Alphys hid which were unknown to other monsters. Unknown or locked. He figured Alphys would go for locked, today. He made his way through the newly gated courtyard, glancing under bushes and in cracks. Anywhere just barely big enough for him to squeeze into was where she might be hiding. He was just delaying the inevitable. He used another shortcut, to the labs this time. The smell of electrical wires and burnt plastic was never pleasant to his nasal cavity. Nor was the thick smell of dust. He crouched down, looking under the tables and desks, pushed aside shower curtains, peeked around the machines. Finally, he pressed his face to the cool tile floor, finding a trembling yellow and purple mass beneath one of the beds. He sighed again. He’d been doing that a lot, lately.

“al.” He got no response, aside from a quiet hiccup.

“alphys.” She sniffed quietly, bringing her claws away from her eyes, her glasses pushed up her forehead, below her tiara. Her face was a mess of tears, her eyes red and unfocused. Even with her glasses worn properly he doubted she could see very well.

“S-s-s-s…” her jaw was trembling.

“you’re okay. it’s fine to take a break.” He brushed the tears from one cheek, settling his palm against it. In the back of his skull, he felt bitter about those words. Things like this happened when people like _him_ take breaks. What a break, too. Binge drinking, hating himself, and sobbing in an enclosed place. Just as Alphys was doing. Only, she knew better than to drink herself to death. She was a better person than him.

“I c-c-c-can’t do it. Th-they’re r-r-relying on…” her voice dropped into a whisper so low he barely caught it, “I’m so bad at this, Sans.”

He gave her a smile.

“you’re doin’ fine, al. and, well, i’m here for you, whenever you need me.” She turned her face towards his palm, though renewed tears escaped her eyes as she closed them.

“I know.”

“you’re tired. wanna go to bed?”

She nodded against his hand. He grasped her hand and gently tugged, leading her out from under the bed. She clung to him once they were standing, and he used a shortcut back into her house. It was one of the many houses left abandoned, but by no one she knew. She couldn’t bear to move into Asgore’s old house.

She buried her face into his chest, silent sobs still wracking her body.

“i know, i know,” he soothed. He helped her out of her coat, setting it on her dresser, and sat her on her bed.

“m’gonna make you some tea? somethin’ tells me you won’t be able to sleep without it.” She nodded.

“gonna have to let go of me first,” he said.

“S-s-sorry,” she said, unfurling her fists from where she’d been gripping his jacket.

“you’re good,” he said patting her shoulder. She had a coffee pot in her room, and bottles of water. She was smarter than him, too. Some days it was impossible to make it into the kitchen, so being able to make hot water for noodles or tea was, quite literally, a lifesaver. Sans had never thought of that. It might have made his own unintentional hunger strikes just a little bit less frequent. His nights wracked with insomnia would have been easier with sleep tea. It was smart. The coffee pot.

As the water heated, Sans sighed again. Some days, though, Papyrus would bring him food. It was a nice gesture, but he couldn’t eat it. Sometimes he’d pick at it, some days…He rubbed the spot on his sternum over where his soul was burning, willing away the pain. It was funny. When he was taking care of Alphys, he was still depressed, but he was a lot more functional. He had to be, for her sake. With someone else to watch over, he had to be a little stronger. It didn’t feel like a burden, it was actually a little easier to get out of bed most days. It wasn’t something he experienced with his brother, who was a perfectly functional adult on his own. Papyrus would be alright without him. Sans didn’t have to put effort into being alive, because Papyrus didn’t need him much. He didn’t need Sans to take care of him. At least. He had thought that.

His hand squeezed a little too tightly on the tea strainer, the edges of the handle digging into his bones. He couldn’t afford not to care anymore. Couldn’t afford to take chances. He didn’t get how Alphys had become the one who needed him, who he needed to keep him going. But it is what it is. He got out of bed every morning so that he could help her navigate her new role.

He poured her tea, and crossed back to Alphys. She was still sniffling, but the tears had stopped. She stared out into nothing, leaned against the headboard. He lifted her hand, setting the cup within it. When he was sure that she had a good hold of it, he settled onto the bed beside her. He rubbed her back as she sipped the tea through her sniffles. She drank in near silence, finishing the tea quicker than she probably should have. She had most likely burned her tongue.

She set the cup down, sighing, wiping her face with the heel of her hand. She set her glasses and tiara beside the cup on the nightstand.

“You’re a good guy, Sans.”

“hm. i’d like to think so.”

She leaned over, wrapping Sans in a tight hug. He sighed against her neck, closing his eyes. He hugged her back. He heard her quietly thinking him, and he gave her another squeeze, to show he had heard that whisper.

“do you want me to stay here?” he asked.

“Y-yeah? I-i-if…” He leaned back, pulling them both onto the bed fully. It wouldn’t be the first time Alphys had slept in her dress, but it was already rumpled from the lab floor, bedsheets couldn’t do much more damage. Al rubbed her face against his chest, finding the flattest spot over his sternum to rest her head. Sans wrapped his legs around her, and her tail curled over his top leg. Sans rubbed her back for a long while as he lay with her. He found himself dosing off, but he wouldn’t let himself sleep until he was sure Alphys was.

The entire kingdom probably already assumed they were sleeping together, or at least in some way romantically involved. He didn’t care one way or the other. It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if they were. He wasn’t exactly sure what kind of relationship they did have, but whatever it was, it was a bond that had formed between two monsters in the deepest depths of loneliness, when everyone they had ever loved was wiped from the world. It was a bond between two monsters who understood loneliness, and feeling like nothing you do would ever be good enough. Two monsters who had felt that at some point that everything was beyond their control, so why bother, really? Loneliness and depression formed before their world had met the tragedy that lead to their current situation. Two monsters who had found an odd sort of strength in that tragedy. Strength in leaning back to back, so that neither one could fall. Strength enough to recognize that not all was lost. To recognize people needed them. To recognize that they did care. They cared about monsterkind.

It was just enough. Monsterkind would persevere. Alphys was a better person than him, she would lead them, and he would offer strength when she needed it.

Sans placed a kiss on her neck when Alphys had fallen asleep, allowing himself to drift off as well.


End file.
